Candy-cutting machine



Dec.'-17, 1929.

A. oLsEN. JR., Er AL CANDY CUTTINGZMAQHINE Filed July 18. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet IN VEN TOR. //vzymsw OLsa/v J'r. BY fMEs l OLSEN,

ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 17, 1929. A. oLsEN, JR., ET AL 1,740,111

CANDY CUTTING MACHINE INVENTOR. Hn/zmaw @LSE/v J'R, J'HMES A OLSEN may?,

A TTOR E YS.

Patented Dec. 17, 1929 PATENT' OFFCE ANDREW' OIJSYEN, JR., AND JAMES A. OLSEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AS-

SIGNORS T GOLDEN NUGGET fSWEETS, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A FIRM CANDY-CUTTING MACHINE Application filed July 18, 1928. Serial No. 293,756.

lThis invention relates to apparatus for cutting 'large slabs of candy in the wholesale manufacture of the same and has for its objects improvements in such apparatus where- -5 by 'successive slabs o'fcandy may be quickly cut or scored and passed on for further handlin-g. A

ln' the drawings accompanying this application Fig. l is a lplan view of our candy slab i0 cutting machine with a slab of candy on a rollable board in yposition for rolling under the machine for cutting and showing the tracks extending beyond the machine for rolling` lthe slab past the machine after cutting. Fig. 2 is an elevation of Fig. l showing the mechanism for raising and clamping the board carrying the candy slab against the bottom of the machine to position the slab accurately relative to the knives for cutting. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the machine taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the gang knives mounted on the chain carrier by which they are dragged over the candy.

Fig. et is a cross section of Fig. 3 taken along the line 4-4 thereof.

Fig. 5 is a detached view of the knives of Fig. 4 mounted on their spacing bars.

ln further detail l is a long slab of candy no anywhere from several feet in width to ten, twenty or thirty feet in length and supported on a table or board 2 on which the candy was poured, leveled out and cooled against marginal bars which were removed leaving a wide margin 2 on the board all around the candy. In practice the board is first covered with a sheet of oiled paper before pouring the candy .pon it so the slab will not stick to the board, but this is not shown in the drawings. Secured to the under side of the board are cross braces or battens 3 to stilfen it, and secured to the battens are ball casters 4 rollable along channel iron guides or tracks 5. The tracks are secured to iiXed framing 6 so that the candy board, or succession of boards,

mav be rolled along.

The cutting machine proper extends across the tracks so that the slab boards may be rolled under it to cutting position, and it consists of a frame comprising a pair of heavy steel beamsor channels 7 connected by cross members 7 at the ends and supported just above the top of the candy slab Vby suitable framing 8.

'Between beams 7 is a set of gang knives 9 adapted to be dragged over the candy slab when the 'board is positioned below.

Tl se knives comprise flatapertured blades 9 carried cn twe bars 10 and spaced 'by pipe pac-ers ll all clamped together by Vnuts l2 that the assembly may be handled as a unit r placing into 'the machine, Vasassernblages of diiierent knife spacing are used for different sizes of candy bars.

y llhe lknife .-.ssemblage is carried on endless chains i3 `ruiming the length ofthe machine and passiing over sprockets 14 carried on shafts 15. The upper runs of chain aresupported on tracks 16 secured to thebeams, andthe lower runs are supported between tracks 17. i8 secured tothe beam, so that the knives will be `held `down to their work.

To support the knifeassembly on the chains two spaced bars i9, 20 extending transversely of the machine are secured at their ends to the chain links and mounted on these b-ars adjacent each chain is a vertical plate 21,'the 5plates being slotted as at 22 'for one of the bars so as to provide for the changing chordal distance between the bars in rounding th(J sprockets, and plates 21 are slotted as at 23.

2li to receive bars l() of the blade assembly. the slots being slanted backwards or opposite to the direction or travel of the plates when the chains are in motion, and slot 23 is also hooked backwardly as shown at Q3 in Figli so that the drag of the candy on the knives `will only tend to seat the bars lbetter in the leu sprocket shaft of the machine as indicated.

The lower side of tracks 18 are planed true to provide a flat surface against which the margins 2 of the board are clamped when cutting` the slab, the clamping of the board being effected by any means which will lift the board from the tracks and force it against the frame of the machine.

The means for lifting the board found serviceable comprises a set of pivoted toggle le.- vers 28, 29 which may be straightened by means of any suitable operating device such for instance as the hand lever 30 preferably stabilized in either elevated or lowered position by any suitable means such for instance as an overbalancing weight 31.

In operation the board 2 is rolled along its tracks to aligned position under the cutting machine, the toggles are straightened to lift the board from the tracks and clamp it to the under side of the frame, the motor is started and the chains carry the knives to the rear end of the machine on the upper run of chains,l

thence around the sprockets to return on the lower run with the corners of the blades dragging through the candy to a depth determined by the angular setting of the blades or their length. When the length of the slab has been traversed by the blades they are carried upwardly over the forward sprocket, the motor is shut off, table lowered to the tracks and rolled beyond the cutting machine to make way for another board.

The travel of the knives is very rapid, consuming only a few seconds for a twenty-five foot slab of candy, and the speed combined with the dragging blades overcomes any tendency of the fudge type of candies to build up on the blades as is the common trouble with rotary gang cutters.

Ve claim:

1. A candy cutting machine comprising an elongated frame, a cutter carriage, means whereby the cutter carriage may be moved along the machine, a knife on the carriage eX- tending downwardly, and means for raising and clamping a candy slab under said frame adjacent said knife.

2. Ak candy cutting machine comprising an elongated frame, a cutter carriage, means whereby the cutter carriage may be moved along the machine, a knife on the carriage extending downwardly, tracks extending transversely under the machine, a candy slab board rollable along said tracks, means for raising the board from the tracks and clamping it to the under side of the frame whereby the slab will be in position for cutting with said knife.

3. In a structure as specified in claim 2 the last mentioned means comprising a plurality of pivoted levers adapted to engage the under side of the board, means for simultaneously actuating the levers.

4L. In a cutting machine of the character described, an elongated frame, a sprocket revolvably supported at each end of the frame, a spaced pair of endless chains passing around the sprockets, a plurality of spacedl knife blades carried by the chains and with the planes of the blade parallel with the chains and means for actuating the chains to move around said sprockets to cut a series of strips parallel with the chains.

5. In a candy cutting machine of the character described, a plurality of knife blades, a pair of bars passing through said blades, and a carrier for supporting said blades comprising a pair of endless chains, wheels over which said chains extend, bars extending between said chains, plates on said bars slotted to receive the bars passing through said blades. y i

6. In a candy cutting machine of thecharacter described, a plurality of knife blades, a pair of bars passing through said blades, and a carrier for supporting said blades comprising a pair of endless chains, wheels over which said chains extend, bars extending between said chains, plates on said bars slotted to receive the bars passing through said blades, and nuts on the last mentioned bars for clamping to said plates.

ANDREW OLSEN, JP.. JAMES A. OLSEN. 4 

